Strengthening the border regions between Senegal, Mali and Guinea

Context

The border regions of Senegal, Mali and Guinea are characterized by cross-border population movement, trade in goods and trade relations. They have many challenges in common such as local distribution conflicts, poverty, unequal opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, weak public services and limited capacity of local authorities.

Border regions with poor prospects, especially for young people, can lead to regional instability and spillover effects. These social and economic constraints can negatively impact the entire Sahel region.

Objective

The population of selected border regions in Senegal, Mali and Guinea, especially young people, is more socio-economically resilient.

Approach

By improving social and economic prospects, the project aims to make border regions more stable and secure. To promote socio-economic resilience, the project operates in three fields of action that are cofinanced by the European Union (EU):

• The project fosters access to basic economic services by providing vocational training, helping young people enter the labour market and supporting entrepreneurship measures.
• The project promotes basic social services, for example, by restoring water and sanitation systems and rehabilitating public education and health facilities. To encourage the inclusion of young people and women, the project also supports initiatives such as dialogues and cross-border cultural and sporting events.
• The project works with local governments to promote cross-border cooperation. Besides the development of transnational development plans, selected municipalities are supported in setting up local cross-border associations.

Last update: March 2025